Superman Returns to His Fortress of Solitude

Rather than face political opponents and actually talk with people, Stephen Harper has returned to the north in his never-ending quest for his Fortress of Solitude.

Like Superman, Stephen Harper is an alien in his own land.  Nobody gets him anymore and his powers are wasted on mere mortals like us Canadian voters.

But let’s take a slightly unique, albeit esoteric look at this analogy.  In DC’s Superman and related series, the Fortress of Solitude is similar to a Doll’s House.  I’m reading The Annotated Sandman, Book 1 right now and the author and editor remind us that Book 11:  The Doll’s House is a representation of Desire, one of the Endless.

Desire lives in the Doll’s House, a shell of a structure that reminds us that dolls do not choose their fate.  Their fate can only be chosen by others.  This was the theme of the Doll’s House, a children’s story written by Rumer Godden in 1947.

Where am I going with this?

Stephen Harper can look all he wants for solitude and serenity from a growing wave of critics and attackers, but he cannot hide because in politics, your fate is determined by those who choose you.

Let’s hope we choose wisely in the future and pick someone who’s less like an alien and more like a Canadian.